served with salad; low-fat, low-sugar yoghurt with sprinkling of cinnamon and walnut
8) GIVE YOURSELF A DAILY PROTEIN CHECK
You should aim to eat a diet that’s around 50 per cent carbohydrate (whole foods and low GI, of course), 20 to 25 per cent healthy fats, and 20 to 25 per cent good-quality protein. We’ve covered carbohydrates and fat already; now the spotlight turns on proteins.
WHY?
A daily protein check is important because, as we’ve seen, protein plays an important role in maintaining blood sugar balance. If you eat it with a sugary or high-GI food it will slow down the conversion of sugar. Protein also supplies the amino acids our bodies need to build and repair cells and manufacture hormones and brain chemicals. And it helps to break down stored fat for use as fuel, which helps keep insulin levels down. Our bodies can’t store protein as they can carbohydrate and fat, so you need a constant supply.
HOW?
Too much protein isn’t wise if you have PCOS because it leaves less room for all the other nutrient-rich carbohydrates and fats that we need to balance our blood sugar and boost our energy. So we’re not recommending a high-protein diet here – especially as it can lead to an increased risk of diabetes and heart disease and perhaps trigger insulin resistance. That’s why we recommend that you eat some good-quality protein with every meal while making sure you also eat the right kind of nutritious and healthy carbs and fats as part of a varied and balanced diet. Include a range of low-fat protein in your diet and make sure that you have a serving with every meal – try low-fat cheese, low-fat milk, low-fat yoghurt, lean meat, poultry, seafood, fish, nuts and seeds.
Other great sources of protein include soybeans, peas, kidney beans, wheat germ, lima beans, black-eyed peas, chickpeas, lentils, black beans, soy products, tofu products, quinoa (a seed that you cook like couscous or rice), spirulina (a green powdered algae you get from health stores to sprinkle in shakes or smoothies, or which you can get in capsule form) and quorn (a meat substitute made from mushroom protein).
Eggs are also a good idea – especially organic, free-range ones. You should try to eat at least two or three eggs a week for their protein and lecithin – a kind of biological ‘detergent’ that can help break down fats, detox your blood and transport of nutrients through the cell walls. (Eggs should be soft boiled or poached, since a hard yolk binds the lecithin and limits its action.)
Skimmed milk also has the benefit of protecting against high blood pressure.12
PROTEINS FOR VEGETARIANS AND VEGANS
People choose a vegetarian diet for religious, ethical, health or environmental reasons. A vegetarian diet generally contains less total fat, saturated fat and cholesterol, and includes more dietary fibre. And vegetarians tend to have lower rates of some cancers, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes.
Adopting a healthy vegetarian diet means substituting meat with a vegetarian protein source, and eat a varied diet including around 30 g of nuts and seeds a day and around 3 or 4 soft boiled eggs a week. The advice below should help you make sure you meet your daily nutritional needs.
Vegetarian Sources of Protein
Eggs
Cheese
Milk
Yoghurt
Vegan Sources of Protein
Leafy green vegetables, including spinach
Legumes – beans, lentils, peas, peanuts
Nuts – almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.
Seaweed – kelp, spirulina, etc.
Seeds – sesame, sunflower, etc.
Soy products – tofu, tempeh, soy milk, etc.
Grains – quinoa, rice
Green superfoods – spirulina, Klamath Lake blue-green algae
Complete Protein
The only problem with plant sources of protein, with the exception of soybeans and quinoa, is that they aren’t complete proteins because they don’t provide all the amino acids. You should eat food combinations which form complete proteins, such as:
Legumes + seeds
Legumes + nuts
Legumes + dairy
Grains + legumes
Grains + dairy
Chances are you already eat complete proteins without even trying. Here are some tasty and healthy complete protein combinations:
Cashew stir-fry with quinoa
Beans on toast
Cereal/muesli with milk
Corn and beans
Granola with yoghurt
Hummus and pitta bread
Nut butter with milk or wholegrain bread
Three-bean chilli with cheese
Rice and beans, peas or lentils
Rice with milk (rice pudding)
Split pea soup with wholegrain or seeded crackers or bread
Tortillas with refried beans
Veggie burgers with rice and peas
Make sure you guard against any nutrient deficiencies with fortified cereals, or have Marmite or Vegemite to get vitamin B12. Try to eat a large portion of green leafy vegetables each day, and half a pint of skimmed or soy milk to ensure your calcium intake. Dried fruits, pulses, green veggies, dark chocolate and whole grains are good sources of iron, and choose butter fortified with vitamins D and E.
SAMPLE PROTEIN BOOST MENU
Breakfast: Poached egg on granary toast
Mid-morning snack: Cashews and raisins
Lunch: Lean chicken or hummus, salad and crunchy vegetables (carrots, lettuce, radish, peppers, broccoli, spring onions); sprinkling of toasted pine nuts
Mid-afternoon snack: Glass of skimmed milk; apple
Dinner: Tofu or seaweed stir fry with soy, ginger and vegetables (baby corn, mange tout, onions); berries and chocolate soya
